The decade since the first Handbook on Hyperbaric Medicine has seen major advances: studies have clarified the actions of hyperbaric oxygenation; clinical practice is becoming more scientific; various organisational and operational guidelines are now widely accepted. This new Handbook arises from the EU Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) programme for hyperbaric medicine, COST B14, in combination with the results of a number of recent experimental and clinical studies.

This book is designed to be a physician's guide for those interested in diving and hyperbaric environments. It is not a detailed document for the erudite researcher; rather, it is a source of information for the scuba-diving physician who is searching for answers put to him by his fellow nonmedical divers. Following the publication of The Underwater Handbook: A Guide to Physiology and Performance for the Engineer there were frequent requests for a companion volume for the physician.

It is not the intention of this paper to elaborate on the history of diving and its progression from shallow air diving through surface mixed gas and eventually to that mode known as saturation. However, the majority of hyperbaric welding being performed is by saturated diver/welders, and, for the benefit of those who are not familiar with the expression "saturation diving," a brief explanation is in order (ISBN-13/EAN: 9780871712158)